Thunder Times A Bi-Monthly Chronicle of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team Volume 1
THIS ISSUE From the Top Current News
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Frontline Frames
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Play It Safe
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Chappy’s Chat
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A Family Affair
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Meet Your Team
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Mail Call
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155th ABCT FAMILY READINESS 24 HOUR HOTLINE 601-313-0155
Issue 12 August 1, 2018
FROM THE TOP Hello to the friends, family, and Soldiers of the Dixie Thunder Brigade! My name is Jeramy Hopkins, I’m the commander of the 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry Regiment. On behalf of myself Lt. Col. Jeramy Hopkins and Command Sgt. Commander, 1-18 CAV Maj. Luis Ferretti, we want to express our gratitude for the warm reception we received since getting attached to the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team. We are originally part of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team out of California. Our Squadron is based out of southern California with armories in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Similar to the 155th ABCT’s 1-98th Cavalry Squadron, our mission is to fight for information to inform the Brigade Commander and favorably influence the battlefield. The big difference between ourselves and the 1-98th CAV is we are a light cavalry squadron, which means we use wheeled vehicles or walk in order to accomplish the mission. We also regularly work with other units, such as aviation, during our training to
provide us added flexibility and capabilities. Over the past two years, we have been preparing for the mission on which we are now deployed. Our mission is to partner with the Jordanian Army as part of the Jordanian Operational Engagement Program. JOEP is an opportunity to build both relationships and interoperability with the Jordanian Army, while at the same time building our readiness to maintain the ability to respond when and where our nation calls. I’d like to close by expressing my sincere thanks to the families, friends, and employers for the support you provide to your Soldiers and to the 155th ABCT. It is never easy leaving, but it does make it easier knowing there is a strong support network back on the home front. You and your Soldiers have demonstrated a level of selfless sacrifice that few will ever truly understand, and it is truly an honor to be able to serve alongside those Soldiers. Scouts out! “SWIFT AND DEADLY!” SABER 6
CURRENT NEWS Fourteen Soldiers with the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team graduated from the Army’s Basic Leader Course at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The course prepares Soldiers to be effective NCOs and continue the strong tradition of being the backbone of the Army. (Photo by Sgt. Brittany Johnson.) Pictured from left to right along with Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. John Beasley. Cpl. Mustafa Hussein, Spc. Andy Gonzales, Cpl. Jack Napier, Spc. Kelvin Pace, Cpl. William Rouse, Spc. Jack Papa, Cpl. Ollie Bland, Cpl. Hailey Fairchild, Spc. Kimberly Handy, Spc. Keyshanda Bonds, Spc. Peaches Gleaton, Sgt. Brandon Normand, Sgt. Jacob Parkhurst. (Not pictured Spc. James Sumrall)
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FRONTLINE FRAMES
Sgt. Kayla Baldwin, a medic, with 2-198 AR conducts thoracic trauma training at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by Sgt. Brittany Johnson)
Spc. Samson Armstrong, with 2-198 AR, conducts room clearing in low light conditions at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by Staff Sgt. John Miller)
Soldiers with 2-114 FA work throughout the night near Camp Buehring, Kuwait to prepare for night fire. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Williams)
The 1-18 CAV conducts a transfer of authority ceremony with their sister battalion, 1-184 IN. (Photo Courtesy of 1-18 CAV)
S Procedures for Proper Ground Guiding A • HAND AND ARM SIGNALS ARE THE BASIC METHOD USED FOR GROUND GUIDING F • GROUND GUIDES MUST BE PROPERLY TRAINED IN HAND AND ARM SIGNALS E • DRIVERS AND GROUND GUIDES WILL COORDINATE SIGNALS BEFORE MOVEMENT T • DRIVER MUST STOP VEHICLE IF LINE OF SIGHT WITH GROUND GUIDE IS LOST • VEHICLES OVER 2 1/2 TONS REQUIRE FRONT AND REAR GROUND GUIDE Y 2
CHAPPY’S CHAT Duty, honor, loyalty, Commitment. These are not just words to the men and women of the 155th ABCT, but are the very ideals that have attended our lives. These ideals were formed around the dinner table in our homes Capt. Randy Wilson when we were chilChaplain, 1-155 IN dren, shaped in Sunday Schools in our churches, and fleshed out in little towns and cities from Mississippi, Kansas, California, and everywhere in between. They guided us as we chose our spouses, bought our first homes, built careers and families, and became the pillars of our churches and communities. They are the hallmark of our lives and values. The 155th ABCT reflects these values. The men and women who serve have imbibed the Brigade with those ideals to its very DNA. The Brigade may not
have been the initial source of these values in our Soldiers, but it does give a platform from which they can be displayed to the world. Every day, our host nations witness these ideals and values as they are exhibited before key leaders and officials from our partners as the Soldiers of the 155th ABCT go about the mission for which they were called. In quiet and demur majesty, simple acts of these guiding principles compound together into a declaration of what it means to be 155 ABCT, and what it means to be from the little towns and big cities back home. So duty, honor, loyalty, and commitment are not just words to the Soldiers of the 155th ABCT. They are not just a simple creed, nor are they a mere battle cry. They are something far more important – they are declaration of who we are. Ch. Wilson
A FAMILY AFFAIR Story by Sgt. Brittany Johnson If you ask any Soldier most of them will say the hardest part of any deployment is saying goodbye to family. It’s something that most Service Members must go through. This wasn’t any different for most of the Guardsmen of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team as they prepared for their deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield. As for Maj. Ron Rogers, commander of Company C, 106th Support Battalion, he didn’t have to say as many goodbyes. As he prepared for his deployment with the 155th, his two sons were preparing themselves for the same deployment. 2nd Lt. Seth Rogers, assigned to Company D, 150th Engineer Battalion and Sgt. Bryce Rogers, assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 98th Cavalry Regiment, are deployed alongside their father. “It’s great, because I have my dad and my brother here along with a lot of other friends,” said Seth. Though the family is deployed with the same brigade, they are all in different battalions. They may not work together but they get to see each other around post. “It’s pretty cool getting to see them at the gym or the (dining facility),” said Bryce. Seth joined first then his younger brother fol-
lowed suit. “Since the very beginning in the National Guard, it’s always been great to have my dad, at first, and then my brother as well to lean back on and get advice,” said Seth. For the Rogers, the military has always been a part of their family. “Soldiers and members of the National Guard are like a second family of mine, so it’s kind of cool to have a first family here with my second family,” said Ron.
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MEET YOUR TEAM My name is Lt. Col. Steven Cochran, and I am the Brigade Intelligence Officer. I am also called the “S2”. I am responsible for a shop that, when augmented by Company D, 150th BEB, totals over 60 Soldiers. Our job is to reduce uncertainty for the Brigade Commander and thus enable him to make informed decisions to Lt. Col. Steven Cochran accomplish our mission with the S2, 155th ABCT least risk to the force. In order to do that, we gather and process a large amount of information. We work closely with other units to get information from them. We also have the ability to go out and gather information about an enemy force using a variety of intelligence disciplines. Our Soldiers analyze this information and develop products that explain the current situation for our units and for our commander. In short, we describe the area in which our units
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will operate before we go there. We explain how the terrain and weather will affect our Soldiers while operating there. We also describe what enemy forces are capable of doing and determine what they will do when we encounter them. Finally, we locate enemy forces and maintain estimates of enemy strength and likely courses of action. In addition to our tactical mission, the S2 shop ensures that Soldiers in the Brigade have appropriate security clearances. We also oversee security within the Brigade and make sure that classified material is protected. It is a very demanding job for everyone on our team because of the immediacy with which the information is required, but it is rewarding in knowing that we play a vital role in protecting the force and mission success. Lt. Col. Cochran
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Parting Shot
Spc. Kimberly Handy, with 106 SB, sounds off as she crosses the stage during the Army’s Basic Leaders Course graduation at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.(Photo by Sgt. Brittany Johnson)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP! APP STORE & GOOGLE PLAY PUBLISHED BY THE 155TH ABCT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE PAO - 1st Lt. Terry Hill II PAO NCOIC - Staff Sgt. Michael Williams PA SPECIALIST - Spc. Jovi Prevot PA SPECIALIST - Sgt. Brittany Johnson
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